


In from the cold

by Melacka



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Everlark Fic Exchange 2019, F/M, In-Panem AU, No Reapings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-01-05 04:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18358688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melacka/pseuds/Melacka
Summary: When Katniss gets stuck in a snow storm, Peeta insists that she take shelter and pass the time with him.In-Panem AU (no reapings). Written for the Everlark Fic Exchange 2019.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Prompt 74 of the Everlark Fic Exchange 2019 on tumblr: In Panem AU (no reapings): Katniss miscalculated how soon a snow storm was supposed to hit D12, and gets stuck in town while trading with the merchants. Peeta comes out in the snow to get her to come into the the bakery… she thinks he’s either crazy, up to something or simply dumb… whatever happens next is up to you! [submitted by @alliswell21]
> 
> This will be either two or three (short) chapters. Hope you enjoy!

Katniss glared at the sky as she felt the first snowflake touch her skin. She’d known it would be a risk to come out to the town today, but she had desperately needed to trade. It had been a hard winter so far and she couldn’t afford to miss any chance to trade with the Merchants. She thought that she’d have enough time to do a quick loop, drop by for some soup with Greasy Sae and still make it back to the Seam before the storm hit. She could tell that it was going to be a bad one and the last thing she wanted was to get stuck out in the open when it hit. She cursed herself for being so stupid as she tried to quicken her pace, the snow already starting to build up on the ground. It wouldn’t be long before it started to impede her movement. She needed to be safely inside long before that happened.

She hitched her bag higher on her shoulder and clutched her hunting jacket close to her neck. She couldn’t decide if it would be safer to keep walking now or try to seek shelter in one of the sturdier buildings in town. Her chances of making it safely back home were diminishing with each minute that passed. She kept walking as she debated her options, there weren’t many places where she could seek shelter. The Merchants were friendly enough when they were looking to trade with her but otherwise would give her a fairly wide berth. She scowled up at the sky again and cursed softly under her breath.

“Katniss!”

She turned her head towards the sound and was surprised to see Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son, waving frantically at her from the bakery door. She stared at him in silence for a moment, halting her movement completely. She hadn’t even known she was walking past the bakery. She still had so far to go before she got home.

“Katniss!” he called again, more insistently this time. “What are you doing out in this weather?”

“Walking,” she said gruffly. “I have to get home.”

She turned away as she spoke and started walking again, moving faster now in a feeble attempt to make up for time lost by the distraction. She heard the unmistakable sound of Peeta coming after her and rolled her eyes in irritation. He caught up to her quickly, circling in front of her so they were face to face and forcing her to stop again. She tried to keep her face passive, even as her annoyance grew.

“Katniss, you’ll never make it home in this. Come into the bakery, at least until the worst of it passes.”

“I have to get home,” Katniss insisted stubbornly. “I can make it if I hurry.”

“You know better than that, Katniss,” he said persuasively, rubbing his hands up and down his arms to combat the cold. “Come inside with me and get warm.”

“I’m not cold.”

Peeta laughed and shook his head, looking at her in a fond sort of exasperation. Katniss was struck by how pleasant the sound of his laughter was, even as she narrowed her eyes at the thought of him laughing at _her_.

“I don’t want to stand out here all day arguing with you and I _certainly_ don’t want to follow you all the way home to make sure you’re safe.” Katniss snorted in disbelief. “But I _will_ do either or both of those things if necessary.”

“You couldn’t keep up with me if you tried,” Katniss sneered.

“Don’t be so sure. I can be very resourceful.”

He grinned at her and Katniss fought hard not to smile back.

“Look, Katniss,” he said eventually, when it became clear that she wasn’t going to budge, “I obviously can’t force you.”

“Obviously.”

“But I would really appreciate it if you would come into the bakery with me. My family have all gone out and will be trapped by the storm as well.”

“So?”

“So, how about you come keep me company? That way I won’t have to worry about you getting lost in the storm or freezing to death.”

“Why would you worry about me?” Katniss asked suspiciously.

“Why _wouldn’t_ I worry about you?” he countered, looking amused despite his chattering teeth. “Come on, Katniss. Don’t leave me alone like this.”

Katniss just continued to glare at him, torn between the lure of the shelter of the undoubtedly warm bakery and the undeniable pleasure she would take in saying no to him out of spite. He clearly thought that he had convinced her, and it irked her to give in so easily, especially to him of all people.

“Katniss, look at your feet.”

She glanced down automatically and saw with a sinking heart that the snow had completely covered her boots now. She sighed, finally conceding defeat. It would be dangerous to attempt to walk home in this storm.

“Fine,” she muttered resentfully. “I get your point.”

“Finally!” Peeta groaned dramatically. “Let’s get inside.”

Katniss watched through narrowed eyes as Peeta stomped noisily back to the bakery without another word. She could see the merit in taking cover, she just wished she didn’t have to take cover with _him_. What if he expected her to talk to him? What could she possibly have to say to Peeta Mellark? She glanced down at her boots, sighing at how much more snow had fallen while she was thinking.

“Katniss!” Peeta called. “Are you coming?”

She turned her eyes back towards the path that would lead her home, thinking longingly of what awaited her there.

“Please don’t make me come back out there,” Peeta called cheerfully. “Come in and wait for the storm to pass.”

Katniss scowled determinedly at him through the falling snow.

“I promise not to make it too awful for you.”

She crossed her arms defensively against her chest and scoffed.

“Katniss, _please_.”

She bit her lip, fighting a smile.

“Should I carry you in?”

Her smile vanished abruptly as she stared at him, horrified.

“You wouldn’t!”

“I might, if it meant we could end this ridiculous stand-off.”

“You’re crazy.”

“No,” he replied with a grin, “just determined.”

“Really?” she said sceptically.

“Oh yes,” he left the safety of the bakery and moved towards her again, “and cold. Very, very cold.”

Katniss felt herself tense as he approached her.

“This is stupid, Katniss. What can you possibly gain from staying out here?”

“Annoying you sounds pretty good right now.”

“Come on, Katniss, don’t sell yourself short! You can annoy me from inside the bakery as well!”

He grinned at her engagingly and she couldn’t help but smile back.

_Damn him_.

“I guess I can,” she conceded reluctantly.

“Great! Let’s get that started as soon as possible!” Peeta cried enthusiastically, practically jumping back to the bakery in his hurry. He started stomping his feet against the mat, trying to dislodge the snow that had gathered on his shoes. “Did I mention that it’s cold out here?”

“Once or twice,” Katniss murmured dryly, finally taking a step towards the door. “It’s like you’ve never seen snow before or something.”

“I just don’t usually make it a habit to _stand around_ in it for long stretches of time.”

Katniss snorted an amused laugh and started tapping the snow off her boots. She took far more care with this task than she could ever remember having done before, desperately trying to delay the inevitable once more. Peeta bustled into the cosy interior of the bakery, holding the door open for her with a welcoming smile. She met his eyes nervously, trying to brush the snow off her shoulders and hair. He just tilted his head slightly, watching her movements in silence. Realising that she was fresh out of stalling tactics, she heaved a sigh and walked past him into the warm interior of the bakery.


	2. Chapter 2

She was immediately hit by a wave of deliciously warm air smelling of bread and cakes. She closed her eyes reflexively and breathed deeply, willing her body not to betray its hunger with any embarrassing noises or unsightly drooling.

“Would you like to freshen up at all?” Peeta asked from behind her.

“Freshen up?” she asked absently, opening her eyes and turning to look at him.

“Yeah, wash your face or hands or anything?”

“No,” Katniss said shortly and then winced as she remembered her oft-forgotten manners. “Thank you, I’m fine.”

“Okay.”

An awkward silence descended while Peeta busied himself with taking his jacket off and hanging it up in a closet. Katniss watched him, still not entirely sure what she was supposed to do here. How she was supposed to _be_. She couldn’t trust any of her natural instincts and she felt uncomfortably out of place.

“Make yourself at home, Katniss,” Peeta said encouragingly as he stepped back behind the counter and pulled an apron over his head.

_Home_? The very thought was absurd. Katniss could never feel at home here. Not with him. He looked at her again and smiled so disarmingly that she was momentarily nonplussed. She dropped her bag on the floor and slowly took her jacket off, feeling hot all of a sudden. She draped it over a chair and watched as Peeta checked the ovens, moving between tasks with an enviable ease.

“I was just about to make some cookies when I saw you, there are some toastings coming up in the district and I don’t want to fall behind.”

Katniss just stared at him, unsure how to respond. As the silence stretched, she went with the first thing that came to mind.

“People have cookies for toastings?”

“Some people do, yeah,” he said, pulling ingredients out and placing them on a workbench near the ovens. “They still have the bread for the actual toasting, of course, and cakes if they want. But a lot of the merchant families these days like to have some cookies as well, especially if there will be a lot of kids around.”

“Oh,” Katniss said, vaguely annoyed. Of course it was the merchants who wanted _cookies_ for toastings. Katniss would never be able to justify that kind of expense, nor could most people in the Seam, but she shouldn’t be surprised that the merchants would.

“Cookies can be a better option for people trying to feed a lot of people,” Peeta continued, seemingly oblivious to the sudden downturn in Katniss’ mood. “Cookies are cheaper to make and they’re done in large batches, so people are more likely to buy a dozen or so cookies instead of one of the bigger frosted cakes.”

“Oh,” Katniss said again, feeling even more out of her depth with every passing moment. “I guess it’s good to have options.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Peeta said distractedly as he reviewed everything he’d put on the bench. Apparently satisfied, he walked back towards her. “Would you like to help?”

“Help?” she asked incredulously. “With what?”

“The cookies.”

“I’ve never—” Katniss stuttered. “I mean, I don’t know how—”

“I can show you, if you want.”

Peeta sounded almost shy as he spoke and Katniss was so surprised that she found herself agreeing.

“Great!” he said enthusiastically. “Come here and I’ll just get you an apron.”

Katniss stepped forward reluctantly and allowed him to slip an apron over her head. She settled it comfortably and tied it securely as she watched Peeta walk back to place a second bowl and spoon on the bench. He grinned at her and she smiled cautiously back at him.

“Don’t be shy, Katniss. After all, what’s a little baking between friends?”

“Friends? We barely know each other.”

“Not yet, I’ll give you that. But that’s what we’re working on here.”

“Really?” she said sceptically.

“Yes, the very best friendships start with baking together,” he said seriously. “Now, come with me.”

He beckoned her closer and Katniss followed him in silence as he led her to a sink where they both washed their hands quickly and thoroughly. He handed her a small towel to dry her hands and smiled encouragingly.

“All good baking starts with good hygiene, Katniss.”

She snorted a laugh and said, “Something tells me you’ve heard that before.”

“Oh yeah,” he said cheerfully, leading the way back to the workbench. “One of my dad’s favourites. I can’t help but think it every time I go to do something in the bakery, it’s buried so deep in my head now. Okay, Katniss, you ready?”

“Uh—”

“Of course you are! Now, I’m going to go through the steps for making cookies and you just copy me, okay?

“Well—”

“Don’t worry, it’s going to be fun, Katniss.”

“I’ve just never done anything like this before,” she said nervously.

“What better way to learn, then? There’s no-one here to judge you, it’s just me, your soon-to-be new best friend.”

Katniss let out a burst of laughter involuntarily and Peeta positively beamed at her in response.

“That’s not what I was worried about, Peeta!” she said, still laughing. “And it’s not that I don’t want to help, okay? It’s I don’t want to mess this up and waste all your ingredients by making cookies you can’t sell.”

“Just trust me, okay? I’m not going to let you mess it up. I’ve done this recipe at least a hundred times. If you get stuck or if you want to stop, just tell me.”

“I want to stop,” Katniss said seriously.

“Just try it,” he said persuasively. “What’s the worst that can happen? No, don’t answer that, let’s just get started.”

Katniss took a steadying breath and almost rolled her eyes at how seriously she was suddenly taking this.

“Okay, show me what to do.”

“Right, so first we’re going to take half of this butter each and mix it with a cup of sugar,” he said as he started dividing the butter and measuring out the sugar, dumping them unceremoniously into his mixing bowl. “Now you do it.”

Katniss copied what he had done, cursing softly under her breath as she spilled some sugar as she tried to measure it.

“Don’t worry about that, it happens all the time,” Peeta said reassuringly. “Now, take your spoon and just mix until it’s well-combined. Just like this.”

He started mixing rapidly and Katniss tried to copy his actions again, feeling clumsy and awkward with the unfamiliar tasks. He talked her through everything he was doing as he added all the ingredients laid out on the bench. Eggs, vanilla, flour, salt, all went in one after another as she just tried her best to keep up with him and not spill too much. She didn’t know how he was keeping such a close eye on what she was doing as he worked on his own batch, but he gently corrected her more than once as she struggled.

“You’re doing great, Katniss,” he assured her when she spilled yet more flour out of her bowl. “Just keep going until it comes together.”

“It’s not going to come together,” she snarled.

“Yes, it will,” he said patiently. “Here, why don’t you take over this bowl and I’ll take yours?”

“Why? So I can ruin both?”

“You haven’t ruined anything.” He took her bowl and firmly pushed his towards her with a smile. “Look, it’s nearly done, just hang in there.”

Katniss watched as Peeta salvaged her cookie dough within seconds, seemingly by magic.

“Wow,” she said softly. “Impressive.”

“You did the work, Katniss,” he said sincerely, “I just finished it off.”

“Yeah, of course. You couldn’t have done it without me, right?”

“Exactly! See, we make a great team!”

“If you say so,” she conceded reluctantly. “So, what now?”

“Now we roll them out, cut them out and get them in the oven. You ever done this before?”

“Peeta, I haven’t done _any_ of this before. I thought my skill so far had shown _that_ pretty clearly.”

“You’re doing great!”

Katniss burst out laughing and Peeta grinned at her.

“Just saying that doesn’t make it true, Peeta! But I think it’s time I hung up my apron, if that’s alright with you,” she said. “I should leave this to the professional.”

“You sure? I can teach you some pretty cool things to do with a rolling pin.”

“Peeta, there _are_ no cool things to do with a rolling pin.”

“That’s just because you haven’t given me a chance to show you,” he said persuasively. “But if you’re sure, you can go and sit down and I’ll finish these up. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“Thank you,” Katniss said gratefully, untying her apron and slipping it back over her head. She wandered back into the front part of the bakery, absently dusting herself down as she walked. She had somehow managed to get flour on her sleeves and her pants.

“Just give me a minute with this, Katniss, then I’ll get us some food,” Peeta called distractedly a minute later.

“Food?” Katniss cried, alarmed, turning back towards him. He was just sliding the trays into the oven. “You didn’t say anything about food.”

“Yeah, but it’s getting late and I haven’t had lunch yet.” Peeta looked at her from across the room, surprised at her obvious panic. “What’s wrong?”

“I – well, you can’t just—” Katniss sought an excuse that would make him drop the subject. “I’m just not hungry.”

“Oh.”

Was it her imagination or did he seem disappointed?

“Well, do you mind if I still eat? I’ve been working most of the day and I was really looking forward—”

“Of course, don’t let me—”

“I just feel weird eating when you won’t be, but if you’re okay—”

“I’m okay, really, just not—”

She stopped talking abruptly as her stomach rumbled loudly. She wondered briefly if she could pass it off as some type of illness but dismissed the idea quickly as even more embarrassing. Besides, Peeta didn’t seem to mind. He actually looked pleased.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said quickly. “Don’t move!”

“But what about the cookies?” she said desperately.

“There’s a timer on the oven, it’ll be fine!” he called back as he darted from the room towards what must be the family’s living area.

She could hear his heavy step recede further away and she groaned out loud. She glanced quickly towards the window, checking to see if the storm had eased at all, hoping she would have an excuse to leave. No such luck, it actually seemed to be getting worse, not better. She heaved a sigh and looked back at Peeta as he came clattering back into the room. He was holding a serving tray with two bowls of what looked to be some kind of soup.

“There isn’t much, I’m afraid, but with some bread we can easily share it between the two of us.”

“Peeta, really, I can’t—”

“Yes, you can,” he insisted as he walked past her to place the tray down on one of the small tables at the front of the store. “Think of it as a personal favour to me.”

“That makes it worse,” she muttered. She didn’t want to owe him _anything_ let alone a personal favour.

He considered her in silence for a moment before his gaze drifted towards the bag she had dropped earlier.

“Okay then, got anything to trade?”

“Trade?”

“Don’t play dumb, Katniss. I know that’s why you come to this part of town. I’ve been eating your squirrels for years.”

Katniss felt her mouth drop open in shock.

“So, what? You thought that I assumed you were just out for a stroll? Just in the neighbourhood?” He laughed and she scowled at him. “Come on, Katniss. What do you have to trade?”

Katniss walked over to her bag and lifted it off the floor reluctantly, peering in it as if she needed to check what was in there. As if she didn’t know precisely how much she had to trade at any given moment in time. When she couldn’t avoid it any more, she looked up at him again.

“I have a squirrel,” she said gruffly. “Do you want it?”

“Sounds perfect,” Peeta said enthusiastically. “It’s a deal. Now let’s eat.”

He walked back over to the table and pulled out a chair, looking at her expectantly.

“That’s it?” Katniss said suspiciously. “You’re not going to haggle or ask if I have anything else?”

“Do you want me to?”

“No, I just—” Katniss heaved an exasperated sigh. “It just doesn’t seem like a fair trade.”

“Fair to you or fair to me?”

“Both.”

“Huh. Well, I consider it a fair deal for me, if that helps.” He smiled and patted the chair again, clearly wanting her to sit. “But if there’s anything else I can offer you to make it fairer—”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just not used to trading—”

“With me? Well, if that’s the only thing stopping you, then I will happily give you as much practice as you need. Besides, you gave me all that help with the cookies.” He grinned when she snorted a surprised laugh. “Now, can we _please_ eat?”

Katniss slowly lowered her bag back to the floor and mustered a smile.

“Yeah, let’s eat.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably one more chapter to come after this one. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read/leave kudos/comment. It makes me so happy!


	3. Chapter 3

Katniss watched in resigned silence as Peeta moved across from her and sat down with a grin. He poured some water into their cups and raised his towards her in a toast.

“To new best friends.”

She rolled her eyes at him but raised her glass in return.

“To convenient shelter from storms,” she said pointedly.

“To unexpected warmth,” he countered dryly and she laughed, conceding the point.

Katniss took a sip from her cup and replaced it carefully on the table, glancing curiously at the soup. She thought that it must be some kind of vegetable base, but it also seemed to have some meat in it as well. Fighting her instinctive rebellion against accepting anything that could remotely be seen as charity, she picked up her spoon and savoured her first mouthful. She noticed Peeta grinning at her and she tried to think of something to say. She tore absently at her piece of bread, dipping it in the soup at the same time that Peeta did.

They ate in silence for a minute before the oven timer went off and Peeta quickly excused himself to take out the cookies. He hummed a little as he moved, and Katniss found herself smiling at his out of tune rendition of a classic folk song.

“So, tell me about your hunting,” Peeta said pleasantly as he joined her at the table again. Katniss had to shake her head to clear it, baffled by the sudden turn in conversation. “Have you been doing it for long?”

“I don’t hunt,” Katniss lied reflexively. Peeta raised his eyebrows at her incredulously. “It’s illegal, Peeta. No one hunts here.”

“Of course,” he said quickly. “How about you tell me about your trade then.”

“My trade?” Katniss was wary of where this conversation was going. She wouldn’t be drawn into this. She didn’t know Peeta well enough to discuss something so fraught with danger. “Just something that has to be done. Nothing to tell, really.”

“Right, of course there isn’t.” Peeta sighed in exasperation. “What do you like to do for fun? How do you spend your time?”

Katniss shoved another piece of soup-soaked bread in her mouth and chewed for as long as she could possibly manage it. Peeta just watched her in silence, patiently waiting for her to answer his question.

“I know you like to sing,” he said coaxingly. “I remember that from school.” She raised her eyebrows in surprise that he remembered her that well. She couldn’t remember the last time she sang at school. “But what else do you like?”

She took another sip of her water and then cleared her throat awkwardly when it became apparent that he would just keep waiting until she answered.

“I like to be outside,” she said gruffly. “Don’t like to spend too much time indoors.”

“Yeah?” he said eagerly. “Is there somewhere in particular you like to go?”

“There’s a meadow near my house. It’s peaceful.”

“I’d like to see it one day.”

“You would?” Her tone of surprise made him smile.

“Yeah, it must be nice to have somewhere to escape to.”

“I guess so.” She paused awkwardly for a moment, wondering how she could turn the conversation away from herself. “What do you do?”

“What do I do?”

“Yeah, you know, for fun.” She gestured vaguely with her soup spoon and winced when some soup dripped onto the table. She wiped at it hastily while he mercifully pretended not to notice her discomfort.

“I spend a lot of time in the bakery, of course, and I do enjoy it most of the time. When I have some time free, I like to see my friends from school, if possible. Not much else to do, really. I like to draw but I don’t have a lot of materials for it.”

“You draw?” Katniss said.

Peeta nodded as he sipped at his water. “I like to paint as well, when I can. That’s why I like to do the cakes so much, one of the few chances I have to be a little creative.” He grinned at her. “My art is _so_ unappreciated here.”

She knew he was joking but she got the feeling that there was a grain of truth in there as well.

“Must be tough,” she said in a voice that she hoped sounded vaguely sympathetic.

“A constant struggle, Katniss,” he said mournfully, shaking his head. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told to stop piping elaborate portraits on the top of cakes when all people have asked for is a few simple words. But I am an _artist_! An artist cannot be curtailed!”

Katniss grinned at his antics and he positively beamed back at her.

“But enough about me,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I want to hear more about you.”

“No, you don’t,” Katniss said with a laugh. “There’s nothing to really tell about me.”

“I very much doubt that, Katniss,” he said more seriously. “I’d love to know more about you.”

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat for a moment. _How do other people do this_ , she thought desperately. Other girls her age seemed perfectly capable of carrying on a pleasant conversation with other people. Katniss just didn’t seem to have the knack for it, and she was annoyed with herself for caring. So what if she had nothing to say to Peeta Mellark? She had nothing in common with the boy, why should she?

“Or you could tell me about your family,” he suggested gently. “How about you tell me about your sister. It’s Prim, right?”

“Prim?” Katniss said with a grateful sigh, a smile returning to her face automatically. “I can do that.”

So, she talked about Prim. She told him stories about the animals that Prim had adopted and nursed over the years, especially her little goat and the foul-tempered Buttercup. She talked about how Prim was a naturally gifted healer and how she could keep her head in a crisis much better than Katniss could. Katniss even found herself talking about how proud she was of Prim and what she hoped for her future. Certainly something better than her own, anyway.

Then she asked Peeta about his siblings and he told her stories of a childhood so very different from her own. He was close to his brothers, but it was different from how she was with Prim or even how Gale was with his brothers and sisters. Peeta hadn’t been responsible for the lives of anyone, ever. He hadn’t known what it was to live so close to death, every day, how it felt to be in a constant struggle for survival. Katniss envied the apparent ease of his life, even as she felt lucky to have the small comforts she did have. They both carefully avoided talk of their parents. Mothers weren’t an easy subject for either of them, apparently.

When there was a natural lull in their conversation, Katniss marvelled at how he had managed to get her talking so much. She couldn’t remember the last time she had spoken so freely with someone; she didn’t even speak like this with Gale. Their communication was largely silent, developed through their years of hunting together.

“Why didn’t you go with your family?” she said suddenly as the thought occurred to her.

“Huh?” he replied distractedly, pausing with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “My family?”

“You said your family went out. Why didn’t you?”

“Oh, that,” Peeta said dismissively. “My brothers and I take it in turns, you see. We can’t leave the bakery unattended in the middle of the day, even in weather like this when we don’t expect any customers. There’s always something to do here, so we share the load. It was my turn.”

Katniss nodded in understanding and looked back down at her bowl, searching for another topic of conversation.

“Besides, I don’t really like doing the whole family visit thing. Feels a little too much like our parents are trying to push us towards _suitable_ candidates.”

The way he said _suitable candidates_ made Katniss look up at him in surprise. He’d sounded almost bitter as he spoke, an emotion she’d never associated with him before.

“Candidates for what?” she asked quietly.

To her surprise, Peeta met her eyes and blushed.

“You know what I mean, Katniss,” he said uncomfortably. “Now that we’ve all left school, we’re all supposed to be looking to our futures. Or so I’ve been told.”

“Our futures?”

He wasn’t looking at her anymore, just tearing off chunks of bread and dropping them in the remains of his soup. Katniss had never considered what her future would hold, she was too preoccupied with her present. She was so focussed on keeping her and her family alive that she didn’t really have time to worry about some unknown, distant future.

“Some future,” he scoffed. “It just feels strange going to see people that I went to school with, people I’ve been friends with forever, and be expected to just go along with what my mother wants for me. Or _who_ she wants for me, more to the point.”

“Oh,” Katniss said stupidly.

She didn’t know what else she could say. This was so far out of her realm of experience that she felt hopelessly out of her depth.

“Anyway, that’s why I don’t mind taking my turn in the bakery. I don’t need to be paraded around for our neighbours, I already know where I want to be. Who I want to be—”

He cut himself off suddenly and Katniss looked at him curiously. He blushed again and stared down at his bowl. She tried to think of something to ease his awkwardness.

“Do you want to stay working at the bakery?”

“Yeah,” he said, brightening. “I like being here and I’m good at it. Not really sure where else I could go. My brothers are both happy to find work elsewhere if they can, but for now there’s enough for all of us. Things will change once they get married, of course. How about you?”

“Oh, I don’t think I should work in the bakery,” Katniss said, smiling as Peeta burst out laughing. “Besides I have my,” she paused significantly, “ _trade_.”

“Very true. A vital service for the district.”

“And like you with the bakery, it’s what I’m good at.” She stared into her empty bowl, feeling suddenly pensive. “It’s probably the best future I can hope for, unless I go into the mines.”

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Peeta murmured, sounding upset. “Hopefully we’ll both find ways to be happy.”

Katniss felt an inexplicable anger surge through her at his words and she spoke without thinking.

“Hope? Happiness? These are Merchant words, Peeta. They’re not _for_ me.”

If he was surprised at her outburst, he didn’t show it.

“They could be, Katniss, if you gave it a chance.”

Peeta seemed to be trying to convey something to her without spelling it out but she was too angry to try to understand. She stood up quickly and stepped away from the table.

“I can’t just wish for my life to be better and have it happen, Peeta! This is it. This is all I’ve got.” She pointed at her bag, devoid now of anything of value to her. “I can _hope_ for a better future and it will make no difference to how I live my life. I can’t lose sight of reality.”

“I’m not suggesting you lose sight of anything,” he said calmly as he stood up and moved toward her. “I’m telling you to open up your eyes.”

“What?”

“Look at what’s really around you, Katniss. Don’t limit yourself only to what you _think_ you can have.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Try to see what’s right in front of you!” he cried, exasperated.

“Right in front of me?” she scoffed. “Right now, that’s you!”

She meant it as a way to embarrass him into silence. Make him realise what he had said. It worked, of course. Just not how she expected. Peeta did look embarrassed and he was silent, but he also looked determined. Katniss bit her lip, confused.

“Yes, Katniss,” Peeta murmured, holding her gaze deliberately even as both of their cheeks flushed. “It’s me.”

“I don’t understand,” she whispered. “What are you—”

“You really have no idea, do you?” he replied, just as quietly. “The effect you have.”

“The effect I—” Katniss cut herself off, not wanting to pursue that particular train of thought. Instead, she let out a frustrated sigh and said, “Look, this is pointless. You don’t know what I need to deal with. You can’t understand what it’s like.”

“Of course not,” Peeta replied sarcastically. “How could I possibly understand the difficulties of being bound by your circumstances? Forced to follow a path not of your own choosing?”

“It’s not the same!” she said indignantly “You think because your mother wants you to get married to some nice Merchant girl that you understand what it’s like for me? For the others like me?”

“No, of course I don’t—”

“You don’t know what it’s like! You don’t know how hard—” Katniss stopped talking, feeling like she might start to cry if she kept going. “It’s not the same,” she said miserably, her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

“I know,” he said quietly, raising his hands placatingly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to – just forget it, okay?”

“I think I should go.”

They both looked out the window and saw that it had stopped snowing. She had no reason to stay here anymore.

“If that’s what you want to do,” he said reluctantly. “Thank you for staying with me.”

Katniss stared at him in shock for a moment before she managed to croak out, “You’re welcome.”

“Would you like some tea before you go?”

“No, I need to get home. My mother and Prim, they’ll be worried.”

“Of course,” he said quickly. “You should get going then.”

She nodded stiffly and moved away from him to grab her jacket, carefully averting her eyes. He darted behind the counter again as she pulled her jacket on and pulled out some cookies from the display case. Katniss watched suspiciously as he started to pack them up quickly.

“Peeta, you don’t need to—”

“I want to,” he insisted. “The food I gave you wasn’t worth a whole squirrel. Take this with you and we’ll call it even.” He held the neatly tied parcel out to her and she hesitated, uncertain. “Please, Katniss. As a peace offering? Or you can take them for Prim?”

“Thank you,” she said reluctantly, taking the cookies and putting them in her bag. “And thanks,” she continued awkwardly, “you know, for the food as well. And the shelter.”

Peeta waved her thanks away as if it were nothing.

“It was my pleasure.”

They smiled at each other for a moment before Katniss realised what she was doing and tried to return her face to its customary expression.

She cleared her throat and said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you around.”

“Come see me anytime, Katniss. Really. _Any_ time.” She furrowed her brow in confusion and he laughed softly as he came back around to join her in front of the counter. “I enjoy your company, Katniss.”

“Why?” she said doubtfully.

“I really don’t know why,” he mused. “Just one of those things, I guess.”

“Oh.”

“Come to think of it, it might actually be because of your dazzling conversational skills.”

“Hey!” she cried indignantly, laughingly taking a swing at him with her nearly empty bag.

He caught it deftly, smiling broadly at her.

“Seriously, Katniss, thank you for keeping me company. I appreciate it.”

She nodded stiffly and tried to tug her bag loose from his grip. He wouldn’t let go and she scowled again.

“Peeta,” she said warningly.

“Yes?”

“Let me go.”

“Oh, I don’t think I can do that, Katniss,” he said cheerfully and her scowl deepened. “Maybe you can come back next time I’m taking my turn in the bakery.”

“Huh?” Katniss almost dropped her bag in shock. “Y-you want me to – what?”

Peeta grinned at her and took a step closer. Katniss fought her instinct to take a step back. She would _not_ show weakness to him. She raised her chin defiantly as his eyes searched her face.

“Maybe I can show you how to make bread next time,” he continued placidly. “Or we can decorate a cake.”

“Peeta,” she said, voice low. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to think of ways to see you again, Katniss,” he murmured, leaning in even closer. “And you’re not really helping.”

“I don’t want to help,” she said without thinking and then blushed. “Peeta, you don’t really want this.”

“And it’s for you to decide that, is it?”

“Wouldn’t you rather spend time with someone more—”

“Suitable?” he interjected with a smirk. “No, I’d rather spend more time with you.”

She snorted and he laughed.

“Can’t get enough of that conversation, Katniss,” he said teasingly. “But if you don’t want to come back here, maybe I could come to you. Now that we’re best friends and all.”

Katniss sputtered in shock, unable to form words at the idea of Peeta visiting her in the Seam.

“I hear there’s a nice meadow out near you, might be worth a look.”

“Not in winter,” she pointed out reasonably.

“Then I’ll just have to find something else to look at.”

He was so close to her now and she could barely think straight. She met his eyes with difficulty and swallowed audibly. _Damn him_.

“You can come see me if you want to,” she said with studied nonchalance, “but I don’t know why you’d bother. There’s not much to do—”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll find something.”

“Well, I hear you’re pretty creative,” she said with a smirk.

“And resourceful! Don’t forget that!”

“No, I won’t forget that.”

He smiled at her and slowly leaned back, finally releasing his hold on her bag. She let out a breath and straightened her shoulders, glaring at him for good measure, the effect being ruined somewhat by the shy smile she could feel tugging at the corner of her mouth. Katniss hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and glanced at the door again, knowing that it was time for her to go. There was no knowing when the snow would start up again and every second’s delay was a gamble that she wouldn’t normally be willing to take. But Peeta caused her to do all sorts of things she wouldn’t normally consider.

“So, you’ll let me come see you?” Peeta said eagerly. “Some time?”

“Yes,” Katniss said slowly. “I’ll allow it. Some time.”

And with that she turned quickly and rushed out the door, desperately trying to force the grin off her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for now! Thanks, as always, to all those who take the time to read/leave kudos/comment, it really does make me ever so happy!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to alliswell21 on tumblr for the prompt and to anyone who takes the time to read/leave kudos/comment. I really appreciate it!


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